High Tech Forum founder Richard Bennett talks with Shane Tews of the American Enterprise Institute and Vrge Strategies about the FCC’s set-top box Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and the habits of viewers today.

“The set-top box NPRM would have made sense 10-years ago…the order is just so far out of step with where the actual technology is and where the marketplace is today. The only other justification is maybe it was put together by people who don’t watch TV or they have political motives vs. economic or technical,” Bennett shares with Tews.

In this podcast, Richard and Shane talk about the history of the issue. They also go into detail regarding all the ways consumers can access content they want to view when they want to view it, making it simple for you to set up your own tools.

Bennett recently filed comments with the FCC on the set-top box debate. He states, “rather than rushing into a rulemaking on the basis of incomplete market data and unfinished technical standards, it would be more prudent for the Commission to replace this proceeding with a Notice of Inquiry on remaining work for DSTAC or a similar body. The NPRM proposes to mandate, on a strict timeline, technical standards that do not exist but which the NPRM believes may exist in a year. It is unwise to impose binding regulations on a vibrant economic and technical sector. It is also wholly unnecessary.” Read his full comments here and the full podcast is available here.